good morning. insult to injury. with millions still reeling from hurricane sandy, now a nor'easter is brewing and it's set to bring high winds and heavy rain to the people who need it least. as temperatures in the northeast dip dangerously low today, we're tracking the storm. complete devastation. a first look side one new jersey town swamped by sandy. but its residents vowing to rebuild. a message of hope amid the ruins. and down the stretch they come. president obama and governor romney crisscrossing the country hoping to persuade veters to vote for them on election day. and we are right in the middle of all the action "today," sunday, november 4, 2012.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," decision 2012, with lester holt and erica hill live from democracy plaza. good morning and welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt here on our beautiful little location. i call it the studio with a view, democracy plaza. our backdrop for nbc's election coverage. >> and a nice view it is. i'm erica hill. it's good you made it this morning extra early, ready to go. >> i forgot to set my clock. >> you did. >> the good news is i started my newscast an hour ago. thanks for watching and have a great sunday, everybody. >> lester is out of here. we should point out part of our job here at the "today" show and, of course, nbc news is to make sure our viewers are informed which jenna wolfe did a fine job of yesterday. you may have missed this part of the newscast, though.

let's take a look. americans will be able to get an extra hour of sleep thanks to the shift back to standard time. officially the change occurs at 2:00 a.m. sunday. but most people will set their clocks back before they go to sleep. >> that was on our show? >> that was on 0 our show. >> really? >> the problem, erica, is that i didn't say this next story is just for lester. lester, please listen. lester, i'm about to start talking. lester, i finished talking. had i done that, lester would have shown up in time. >> we need to do that in the spring. >> we'll all coordinate our calendars. >> you come in early, want to welcome the new person and this is what you get. >> i told you to come in four hours early. a little early would have been fine. >> i will pay extra close attention to your newscast to y today. thanks to all that, no joke, of course, the weather is not cooperating. what we've been through this part of the country, people without gas, power, patience. >> for the millions who still don't have heat, that is especially tough news.

temperatures dipping into the 30s today and, even worse, another storm is coming. a nor'easter that could bring high winds and heavy rain. dylan dreyer will bring us up to speed on that in a moment. the latest from sandy's aftermath. at least 111 deaths in the u.s. are now attributed to the storm, most of them here in the new york and new jersey area. more than 2 million people still without power, mostly in new york city's outer boroughs and the suburbs. and there's growing frustration over a shortage of gasoline and heat as people wait in line for hours to fill up cars. >> those long lines aside, many storm victims also dealing with uncertainty and anxiety as they try to piece their lives back together. dr. nancy snyderman will be here with advice on dealing with the stress caused by hurricane sandy. and it was supposed to be race day for some 47,000 runners in the new york city marathon. the event, of course, canceled on friday, much to the disappointment of many of those who were supposed to run. we'll tell you how some of them plan to spend this it day running for a much different cause. and if you are like many

people you may be ready for the election to be over. believe it or not, though, from clint eastwood's chair to kids who are sick of the whole thing, there were a fair amount of funny moments during this campaign season and we'll have a fond look back at those. we do begin with the northeaster heading to the coast. we are talking about recovery all across the northeast and, unfortunately, the temperatures have been so far below average with wind chills down in the 30s as well. so up until this point recovery efforts have been hindered just because it's been so chilly for those without power. now, on top of that, we are talking about another nor'easter. this is a storm that is going to make its way through the carolinas bringing lots of rain to north and south carolina, right through havevirginia, up through ocean city, maryland, that's already been hit hard, and then in new jersey we are going to see the potential for some more flooding. now this is not going to be another sandy. new york city subways will not get flooded out. however, we are still looking for any minor storm surge to

cause additional flooding especially along the new jersey coastline and long island. it's not so much south facing beaches because it's a northeast wind this time around, but we are still looking for 2 to 4 inches of rain and wind gusts possible up to 40 to 50 miles an hour and the time frame is wednesday into thursday. we'll take a look at the national forecast in just a few minutes. lester? dylan, thanks. we'll get back to you shortly. we want to talk about hurricane sandy's aftermath. more than a million people in new jersey without electricity and in some places entire communities are completely destroyed. highlands, new jersey, one of those towns. michelle franzen is there for s us. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, lester. this blue collar fishing community is used to riding out the storm but no one was prepared for sandy's force. take a look at this home in the do downtown. the water line wellbove my head. as a result the majority of homeowners here cannot return to their homes, not just because

their homes are flooded out but with massive debris including boats lodged in the yard. the biggest challenge for this and other communities is just being able to provide the basics at this point, food, water, and shelter. eileen has a hot meal and a warm place to stay. the local high school, her temporary shelter now for nearly a week. >> i've learned in life you have to be thankful. it's a good thing. we are all alive. >> reporter: she and her dog, maggie, are among the residents in highlands, new jersey, forced out of their homes when sandy's surge flooded the seaside town. >> some areas have about 12 to 17 foot surge of water come in. went into 1,200 or more of our 1,500 residences downtown. >> everything got wiped out. >> reporter: amanda and her family barely made it out. saturday she gave representative frank pallone a tour of the damage which included a boat slammed against the house. still, she's hoping to rebuild.

>> my son is actually the fourth generation, so we brought him home to this house. we love it. we want to stay in this town. we love the town. but there's nothing we can do, we would have to leave. >> reporter: a lot of people are worried about not having the shelter these cold nights. the. >> i'm very concerned about, you know, first of all, there might be another nor'easter coming and, you know, we just have to make sure that everybody has shelter. >> reporter: fema and the red cross arrived just yesterday, but it is the spirit and efforts of this tight-knit community that is driving the healing process. >> we're running out with a generator. >> reporter: leading the way, the mayor who knows the devastation firsthand. he and his family lost everything, too. >> and this is all of our kids' and family's stuff we had to take out of the house because it's contaminated. >> reporter: now as this community starts over, residents are also gaining comfort and strength in knowing they are not alone. and the mayor and his family are

also staying at the shelter and now, lester, he and other officials are trying to get clear the way for fema to bring in temporary trailers long-term housing needs. >> all right, michelle franzen in highlands, new jersey, thank you. once again here is erica. thanks, with two days now until election day, the campaigns are making their final arg arguments to voters. and with only a tiny margin separating the candidates, they know every vote counts. kristen welker is traveling with the president. >> reporter: it's the sprint to the finish. by tuesday both candidates will crisscross all the major swing states and travel a combined 8,000 miles seeking out the few remaining undecided voters in this race that remains deadlocked. >> after four years as president, you know me. >> it is time to lead america to a better place. ♪ you make me feel >> reporter: from katy perry in wisconsin -- ♪ >> reporter: to dave matthews in

have virginia, the stars turned out for the president saturday. while nascar legend richard petty revved things up in iowa for mitt romney. ♪ kid rock opening romney's biggest rally in ohio on friday. but this weekend is all about closing arguments. on saturday the president made his case in ohio, wisconsin, iowa, and virginia, where he enlisted former president bill clinton to help had him close the gap with white working class voters, and to remind them about recent boone times under a democratic president. >> barack obama is a proven cooperator. >> everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same rules. that's what we believe. that's why you elected bill clinton in 1992. >> reporter: mitt romney made stops in new hampshire, iowa, and colorado can on saturday be and continued to push his key argument -- the economy will be stronger under his presidency. >> from day one, i'm going to go to work to help americans get back to work. >> reporter: and he took aim at president obama for saying this on friday.

>> don't move, vote. vote. voting is the best revenge. >> reporter: romney suggesting the president was encouraging people to vote for the wrong reasons. >> he asked his supporters to vote for revenge. >> boo! >> i ask the american people to vote for love of country. >> reporter: the obama campaign dismissed the flap calling it a small issue. now with mr. obama leading in some key battleground states, romney is making a late play for traditionally blue states including pennsylvania where he'll campaign later today. for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, concord, new hampshire. our next two it guests couldn't be more excited for the big night. david gregory of "meet the press" and chuck todd, chief white house correspondent. nice to see both of you this morning. >> thank you and welcome. >> it's great to be here. boy, am i here just in time for

all the fun. one romney adviser told "the new york times" this is a tie football game with a loose ball. david, is the race really still up for grabs it at this point? >> well, it's certainly close enough it is up for grabs. we go into election day the final two days with an exceedingly close race. that said, all indications are that president obama has a slight edge and that the terrain is still more difficult. to use the metaphor, there's a lot more blue shirts around here than red ones in terms of who will pick up that loose ball. so romney is very much in this thing, but i still think the electoral map is more challenging. >> there's been so much talk about early voting and a third of swing state voters have cast an early ballot. what does that do for you guys, chuck, on election night? does it make the race easier to call? >> well, no, it won't actually. traditionally more difficult because then old-style polling when you're trying to figure out who voted. so in that case it won't. one thing about the election as a whole, this thing is feeling a lot like 2004. our pollsters have been telling

us this for six months. we go back and forth where obama is the bush character in a sense. romney, a massachusetts guy, is the kerry kascharacter here and it's converging. it's a close race but a slight edge for the incumbent. >> and you had a late breaking event, like the osama bin laden in 2004 which absolutely turned the race away from his advantage. here we have an october surprise that is hurricane sandy, and there is a measurable impact here in terms of good feelings towards the president doing his job. >> that really has come out of it? >> you can't help but see it did one of two things. it stopped romney's momentum. he disappeared. and then there were positives for the president in an area he has been exuding lack of leadership, he looked like a leader to a lot of people. >> talk about chris christie, a few things written about him and how close he was to being romney's pick for vice president. did this show of bipartisanship

help president obama? >> not only the show of bipartisanship but who was involved, that it was governor christie who gave the keynote address for president rgovernor talking about the president, someone groping in had the dark for the leadership switch, and went out in a way that left people close to romney saying, why were you so effusive before the president had done anything yet? people are starved for this kind of bipartisan cooperation. you saw it here on a huge national stage with so many people paying attention. >> turnout will be key here. what are the specific coalitions each candidate wants to see? >> you see the president trying hard to win big. he's going to do worse with white voters than four years ago but his coalition, the growing amount of new voters in the country are nonwhite, hispanic, african-american. he needs to do big numbers there. what romney is relying on is not just running up the score among white voters, it particularly

white men, but he has to win the key -- the swing voting group i hear that is the most sort of back and forth is unmarried white women. these are some, about a third of them are widows, a third not married at all. they have been going back and forth more than any other group. who wins them at the end of the day will tell us who win this is election. >> the other note to that is enthusiasm is down among latinos, younger voters, soap the get out the vote operation is really important this year. >> what do you have coming up on "meet the press"? >> we'll talk to david plouffe and also eric cantor, the house majority leader. a great roundtable as well. chuck will have our latest polling in the head-to-head matchup which we will report for the first time on "meet the press" this morning. >> nice to have you both here. thank you. and you can watch nbc's election night coverage on tuesday live right here from democracy plaza starting at 7:00 p.m. eastern, 4:00 pacific. and it is time now for a check of the morning's other top stories. jenna is standing by at the news

desk. good morning. good morning to you guys. workers are trying today to rescue construction crane that was nearly destroyed by hurricane sandy. the superstorm left the crane dangling precariously above midtown manhattan forcing the entire city block to be evacuated for days. workers hoping they can skurp the crane enough so that residents will be able to return home and businesses will be able to reopen on monday. a new york city family's worst nightmare took another turn saturday night. a trusted nanny charged with stabbing their two young children to death last month. they charge d 50-year-old orteg with the death of lucia and her brother in their upper west side apartment. people are digging deep to help the victims of hurricane sandy. they raised nearly $23 million for the red cross. it says the website and phone traffic have exceeded that of other telethons supporting the organization over the past five

years. there's still time to donate. many ways to help including texting the word red cross to 90999 to make a $10 donation. big bird got a big boost in the nation's capital on saturday. hundreds of people gathered on washington's national mall for a million muppet march, many dressed in costumes drug big bird although that's not his ko costume, kids. that's just a big bird. the event was prompted by mitt romney's vow in the first presidential debate that he would cut funding to pbs if elected president. that was the largest muppet of all time. and finally, to an event where man's love of flying reached new heights and also where it's obvious that sometimes man has too much time on his hands. 30 teams competed saturday in the red bull tournament in miami, flying day in german. amateur pilots used a flight deck 30 feet above biscayne bay to launch their homemade crafts. some of them soared. some of them didn't.

and some of them thought it meant something entirely different obviously. that is the news. back to lester and erica. did she mention the time change? >> was there a time change today, lester? >> should really get that if there is. jenna, thanks. dylan dreyer has a check of >> good morning, looking for more sunshine today though it is on the chilly side. temperatures 49 to 53 in the afternoon, breezy out of the northwest, 5 to 10 miles per ho and that's your latest forecast. lester? >> dylan, thanks. still to come on "today," a new race for the runners who wanted

to take part in the new york city marathon. this time to help the victims of the storm. we'll tell you more about that in a moment. agine living your le with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores

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with a variety of tastes and textures only chex mix is a bag of interesting. i want to quickly show you the cover of new york magazine that has captured the area. this is the part of new york, manhattan the part with power and the part without. this is symbolic of the entire region. >> that is how it seems and there was so much talk about the uptown/downtown that we were seeing lights on uptown and nothing downtown. it still feels that way for so many people who are still without power. and as we've been talking about as it gets colder without heat which is, you know, really becoming a precarious situation for a lot of folks. >> manhattan is mostly back now again. new jersey, lots of areas. >> we did get power yesterday but even my husband said as soon as it went on he looked at the they a thermostat and it was 52 degrees. that was warm in the middle of the day, what some folks will be facing tomorrow night. >> ours came on friday and i didn't want to turn it off. afraid they wouldn't come back

on. we're hoping others get it back on. capital one venture miles for a golf getaway. double miles you can actually use... but mr. single miles can't join his friends because he's getting hit with blackouts. shame on you. now he's stuck in a miniature nightmare. oh, thank you. but, with the capital one venture card... you can fly any airline, any flight, any time. double miles you can actually use. what's in your wallet? alec jr? it was a gift. how does it brew such great coffee? well, inside the brewer are these green fields of coffee, actually, i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig. now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch, the delicious way to help them grow up strong.

to come can on "today" the lighter side -- some of the moments that made us laugh. >> plus, some inside tips on what erica needs to know about working inside studio 1a. things you need to know. enjoy your new home.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, i'm jennifer franciotti. the time right now is 8:26 and a look at some of the morning's top stories. baltimore city police are investigating a pair of deadly shooting. the most recent happened just before 3:00 on saturday afternoon. police found a 29-year-old man shot multiple times inside a home in the 2900 block of linworth heavy. no word on a suspect or motive on a shooting in the 600 block of lakewood avenue. police found a 30-year-old man shot in the back. he was rushed to the hospital but died a short time later. five people are recovering after a three-car collision involving a city police car.

it unfolded just before 3:00 saturday morning. the police car was stopped at a traffic signal at south canton and frederick avenues. none of the injuries is life-threatening and there is no word if charges will be filed. mcdaniel college celebrated the completion of its new stadium during saturday's homecoming. the kenneth r. gill stadium was named after an alum who donated $2.25 million for the project and more than 100 individuals and businesses helped to finance the two-story brick facility which will feature

>> good morning, we are starting the day with a lot of clouds but hoping for them to break apart going into the afternoon. you can see them breaking apart on the satellite so that means a brighter day. it's been gleam since the hurricane so hopefully it's brighter. it will still be cold, a storm system to the south and another in the plains could form a coastal low into the upcoming week so we have to watch that. today, great outdoor weather as long as you're dressed warm. high temperatures from 49 to 53 degrees. breezy winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 miles per hour. here's a look at the seven-day forecast. cold tomorrow, 50, mostly sunny skies. 48 on election day, dress warm. wednesday and thursday things go downhill with windy and rain likely wednesday into thursday. the surf is likely to be rough.

>> thanks for joining us. 11 news sunday morning starts in 25 minutes. and we are back on this sunday morning, november 4, 2012. a great group of people warming us up a little bit out here on the plaza joining us. i'm erica hill alongside lester holt, dylan dreyer and jenna wolfe. good to be back with you again for a second day. >> got my hand warmer. >> i love this place you bring hand warm eers. still to come this morning, we're talking about dealing with the aftermath, of course, of hurricane sandy. there's also the physical and the emotional toll of this. 2.5 million people now still without electricity or heat, millions more dealing with the

anxiety of not knowing how long it will take for their lives to return to normal. so to help with that dr. nancy snyderman is here with some advice this morning. >> whose phone that? >> my mama. >> would you tell her to hang on for a second? it's a great ring tone, though. we're talking about her mom but we're also talking about the 47,000 people that were in town this week to run the new york city marathon that has since been canceled but months training and as you can imagine many are disappointed but they will spend today running with a difference in mind. i was being funny. i didn't mean to make you -- i was just kidding around. i was just telling her to share the love with your mom. okay, good. >> you're from boston? we'll look back at some of the lighter moments from election season including some that were scripted and others that were not. and since it's erica's first

weekend with us, we decided to put together a primer to show you the ropes around the studio, some important information about where the good snacks can be found and where kathie lee stashes her wine. it's important things you need to know. we're going to hook you up. we have all that coming up. first, another check of the weather from dylan. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by windows 8. and we are looking at temperatures today pretty chilly in the northeast as they have been recently. it really hasn't warmed up. it's been about 10 to 15 degrees below average in the northeast in that recovery zone, but we have to wait until the end of next week before we do start to see a warm-up. in the meantime we are focusing on a storm system that is going to start moving into the middle of the week. today, though, things are fairly quiet except for the northeast and tomorrow we are looking for showers extending from missouri all the way down into louisiana and, for your election day forecast, some heavy rains start to move into the northeast and

florida but elsewhere most of the country is looking pretty quiet and a little mild out west as well, the northeast still dealing with some of those cooler temperatures. >> good morning, looking for more sunshine today though it is on the chilly side. temperatures 49 to 53 in the afternoon, breezy out of the northwest, 5 to 10 miles per hour and for the rest of your weekend forecast, the election day forecast, you can always check out weather.com. but today is sunday. that means tonight is "sunday night football" night in america. there's a lot going on outside. it's all about what's going on inside in the georgia dome as the cowboys head over to the falcons. it's looking like the outdoor weather will be cooperative.

mostly clear. temperatures about 60 to 63 degrees but, again, the heat is on inside the georgia dome for sunday night football night in america. erica? and that is good news, dylan. thanks. 47,000 runners from around the world were supposed to take part inmarathon, but on friday new york city's mayor canceled the race in the mounting criticism it was incensensitive to the victims o hurricane sandy. jenna is back with that. very loud cries from not just in the city but the entire region. erica, many runners are disappointed but they're turning that bad news into something good. frustration after months of preparation. >> 20 weeks of training, it's a little disappointed to give up. >> running is the light of my life and i feel like my wedding has been canceled. >> reporter: confusion over the back and forth on whether it would happen. >> have a hoopla, just rah-rah-rah for us runners when there are people without homes,

mothers who have lost children. >> reporter: and ultimately acceptance. >> i'm disappointed. we would have liked to have run it. that's life. >> reporter: the 47,000 runners scheduled to hit the street today as part of the new york city marathon are now forced to put the race behind them this morning after the city agreed with the popular opinion that now just wasn't the right time. >> difficult news for people who have trained all year. people who have come around the world to run in it, but it's the right decision. >> reporter: and while some runners are upset over the timing -- >> this was brutal. absolutely brutal. this should have been canceled tuesday. >> reporter: many have moved on, lending a hand to those who need it, racing now to help out. the website race2recover nyc are matching donations. as generators once dedicated to the race have been freed up to help those still without power.

dr. jordan metzel helped organize an event to distribute food and supplies throughout storm ravaged communities of staten island, literally running supplies across the borough. >> with our somewhat freakish skill being able to run 26 miles at once, hopefully we'll get into place that is are tougher to get to, things like prepaid cell phone, gift cards, hygiene supplies. >> reporter: the desire to help, replacing that sought after runners high. and for those still looking to hit the pavement, there's always 2013. >> i have a date with the new york city marathon, so it's not this year. it's next year. so i'll be back. >> more than 500 runners are expected to show up in staten island today. other informal runs will be held as well this afternoon around central park, taking the same course as the 1970 route of the marathon. and it's because 47,000 people are right now in central park with a lot of pent-up energy and they need somewhere to go and something to do.

>> they need to run. it's nice to see people putting that energy into a great thing. once again here is lester. nearly a week after sandy hit the east coast millions of people are still without power and facing the daunting task of rebuilding their homes and communities. they're also dealing with anxious and fearful of what the future holds. dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor. some of us were inconvenienced d by power outages, but some people are in it really bad straits and it's starting to take a real emotional aal toll. >> you can see it literally in people's eyes, the exhaustion and fright. i've talked to more parents who said on monday and tuesday they, themselves, were so scared but they felt they had to be stronger because the fright in their children's faces was extraordinary. and now from the inconvenience of no power, no water, to really being cold and the disruption for a lot of kids still no school and then what is monday going to bring?

>> and also, a lot of folks have never had to ask for help and this is a time where you need help. but it's difficult. >> it is. you and i have lived in california. so we understand what preparedness is. we think like earthquake people. and i would have to say that on the east coast, people don't necessarily have that same preparedness aspect. so even though there are warnings, people find themselves caught off guard and you and i know having covered katrina you get the first wham was, okay, but then the insidious sort of day after day after day -- >> it's going to be a long slaught. >> that's what hit people now. as trite as it sounds, the more you can talk to your family members about it, the more important it is. reach out to neighbors who may not have anything. find out if you can help car-pool kids. find out what's happening in community centers. there are a lot of communities still virtually cut off from the rest of the world and they're not getting information. >> everything connects, you don't have any power, any gas.

you don't have gas, you can't get to the store, the pharmacy. talk about people if you need a medication and you have just fumes in your gas tank, you can't get to the pharmacy, may not be open when you get there, what do you do? >> this preparedness issue. everyone should have a five-gallon water container that sits in the basement that's always there. for people on medications, have a zip locked bag with at least two or three days of medication that's labelled. know where there are alternate pharmacies you can go. and i would always ask the physician please give me a backup prescription that i can have that shows that i need this medication and then keep it in a safe place that you can access a watertight box. now we don't think enough ahead for the routine medications. if you're a patient who is on any kind of mental health drugs, any cardiac drug, cancer patients, and your hospital or 0 your doctor isn't open for business, you really need to have two or three days minimum, a week is even better.

and i can't underscore the preparedness issue enough. think like a californian from here on out. >> let's all hope we learn lessons from this. dr. nancy snyderman, thank you. >> you bet, lester. we'll look back at some of the lighter moments this election season coming up. first, these messages. you can fit in there? are you se [ chuckles ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] around view monitor with bird's-eye view. nice work. [ male announcer ] introducing the all-new nissan pathfinder. it's our most innovative pathfinder ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ 100% new. 100% mmm... wow, that is mmm... it's so mmm you might not believe it's a hundred calories. new yoplait greek 100.

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this election has been pretty serious business. >> but there have been more than few lighter moments as well. here is nbc's mike viqueira. >> reporter: congratulations, ameri america. the grand march of democracy, our national endurance test, is finally coming to an end. a year and a half of gaffes and laughs starting with debates. >> i'm speaking. >> reporter: so many debates, so many fond memories. >> it's three agencies of government when i get there that are gone. commerce, education, and the -- >> reporter: of course certain things were more memorable than

others. there's been high drama. >> and i am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that. >> reporter: and high rollers. >> i'll tell you what, $10,000 -- >> reporter: and numbers, lots and lots of numbers. >> $5 trillion tax cut. >> 12 million new jobs. >> the numbers just don't add up. >> reporter: at times the rhetoric soared, kind of. >> and the trees are the right height. >> reporter: other times the speeches fell flat. >> what do you want me to tell romney? i can't tell them to do that. can't do that to himself. >> reporter: and there was music. >> bruce springsteen to trace atkins and dave matthews out here on the campaign trail is music, sweet music everywhere. ♪ you make me >> reporter: for every katy perry belt iing it out for obama -- there was a kid rock for romney. even the candidates got into the act. ♪ and i'm so in love with you

♪ america, america >> reporter: all good until meatloaf was served. sometimes the candidates were funny on purpose. >> it's nice to finally relax and to wear what ann and i wear around the house. >> the unemployment rate is at its lowest since i took office. i don't have a joke here. i just thought it would be useful to remind everybody. >> reporter: other times we wondered what are they laughing at. if you're running for office it's important not to take yourself too seriously. >> i'm not saying each early voter gets a free cheeseburger but i'm not saying they don't either. >> reporter: we laughed with them and, yes, sometimes we laughed at them. >> governor romney has just said that he killed osama bin laden. would you care to respond? >> no, you two go ahead. >> reporter: there were timeless campaign trail predictions. when you get close to the people, people want to get close. s as always there were moments

that make us cringe. but this time new media brought new kinds of ridicule. >> brought whole binders full of women. >> reporter: twitter with classics. >> called an act of terror. >> reporter: the fact checker. it was a campaign of big issues. while other issues were ignored. gun control, no. young guns, yes. >> governor romney believes -- >> reporter: in the end, $1 billion in ads. >> i'm mitt romney, and i approved this message. >> reporter: their target a political unicorn, the undecided voter until the mouth of one babe. >> i'm tired of barack obama and mitt romney. >> that's why you're crying? it will be over soon, abby. >> reporter: you have to wonder what do we do now to keep us entertained? for "today," mike viqueira, nbc news, washington.

>> now we focus on 2016. >> it feels like it's been the world's largest reality show we've been watching. >> and it ain't over yet. up next, what erica needs to know about working rate here in studio 1a. [ corbett ] the holidays seem to come sooner every year. luckily, walgreens is here to help, with our new happy and healthy magazine, full of great new items for a boost of happiness, tips for staying healthy and sweet holiday deals to stay one step ahead. or at least try to. pick up your free copy and get 3,000 points right now when you buy $20 of select walgreens store brand products. at the corner of happy and healthy. mom, pop it. ♪ two inches apart, becky. two inches. t-minus nine minutes. [ ding ] [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls. let the making begin. ♪

[ male announcer ] yep, there's 8 layers of whole grain fiber in those mini-wheats® biscuits... to help keep you full... ♪ 45 bushels of wheat on the farm. 45 bushels of wheat! ♪ ...all morning long. there's a big breakfast... [ mini ] yeehaw! ...in those fun little biscuits.

there's a big breakfast... so, maybe you're trying to fiwell, let me give it a shot. if you're ok with marylanders spending five hundred and... fifty million a year gaming in other states, fair enough. but if you think we should keep that money here... add twelve thousand jobs, and generate millions for schools... well you should probably vote for question seven. because if it doesn't pass, all of this goes away. that's why the post called seven, common sense. but decide for yourself. erica, it's your first weekend here, you're trying to get your bearings around stewud 1a and all the ins and outs. we wanted to show you the secrets behind the scenes. take a look. ♪ all right, so, erica, this is your official welcome to studio 1a. it's a magical, historical place, but there are a few things you're going to want to know about secrets of the set.

for example, be very careful with these chairs. you hit this handle wrong, you will drop and be like a 10-year-old anchor and you'll be looking at your knees. that's okay. you want to use this a lot. we have a phone down here. this will get you maybe a pizza and occasionally the producers. this is very important. we are each provided with our own little "today" show cup. what goes in that cup, well, you know, joe and antoine, our guys on the weekend, will put whatever you need in the cup no questions asked. he will never tell what's in this. >> no. >> things you need to know. enjoy. this is your new home. happy to have you here. >> we are looking at our average high temperature in november, about 54 degrees. a little bit chilly, i know, but don't worry. there's a hand warmer fairy and you get these just put in your pockets. you'll always be warm on the plaza, maybe not so much in the studio. 60 degrees. so keep these handy. no matter what the weather is, you're going to do absolutely great here. we're so excited to welcome you

to "weekend today." >> the least of your concerns should be whether you've ever forgotten something when you come to work. in the wardrobe department at the "today" show, anything, anything, are anything you could ever want, they have. for example, swiss army can openers, our own first aid kit here in the wardrobe department. comfort eye teams, oral hygiene, first aid, nasal congestion, ladies only. let's not talk about it. are your hands dirty? thousands of containers of wet ones up there including peanut butter. literally there's nothing you could have possibly forgotten at home that the wardrobe department at the "today" show does not have. they have you covered from head to toe, inside and out. >> hi, erica. welcome to our "today" family. >> right. and our "today" kitchen which you will be spending a lot of time in. we have here the slowest toasters in the world. >> we have some stories to do. let's go. >> we'll come back and check on that toaster.

toast. >> al, seriously. that's why i never -- i bring my own food. >> you bring your own toaster. how do you keep it hot? you bring your own toast. >> in aluminum foil. >> it is no longer toast. browned bread at that point. >> browned bread with a little crisp to it. ten minutes. >> look. look at this. it popped up. nothing. >> it's not even toasted. >> barely brown. >> that's ridiculous. >> so, erica, welcome. >> bring your own toast. bottom line. >> hey, erica, it's matt. i have a little tip for you. you will spend a lot of time in the kitchen here where we do all the cooking segments with the best food prep staff in the world. and when you get hungry, don't touch the food. they don't like that at all. they frown upon it. they can turn mean in an instant. if you do want a snack, i have a trick for you. out here in the hall just outside the kitchen and this is where they keep the prep carts.

okay? see, do not touch food. this is for the segment. there's cheese and crackers, grapes, chocolate chips, and i think what they really mean is, for hosts only. so chow down, erica. enjoy yourself and welcome. >> erica, hello. welcome to the "today" show. okay, a couple of the rules here. you can have a lot of fun it at the "today" show. fun is in my dressing room, not outside of the dressing room. fun inside. not fun outside. get in here, i'll show you. funky dance party. come on, erica. i know you've got moves. what are they? show me. wait, hold on. i hope you have those. i don't know. ♪ >> if you ever get a little, you know -- you know -- i'll take you to the most important places right here back where hoe da and

i hang out all the time. this is the wine, baby. sending this over to you on your very first weekend. >> but first, this is "today" on nbc. erica, can you run in heels? sometimes we have to get out to the plaza in 30 seconds flat. go, go, go. will you button my jacket? i feel 5 years old again. did you button it? get through the world's heaviest door. you're out on the plaza, memorize five pages of scripts in 20 seconds. it's a piece of cake. erica, welcome to the "today" show. you're going to do great. >> oh, and one other thing, erica, we have the best crowds in morning television. >> i love this place more every day. >> welcome home.

>> it's just so great. it's only day two, right. one thing i've learned, too, since there's everything in wardrobe and the toasters don't work, maybe wardrobe should take over the toast eers. i'm just saying. >> by the way, the party is still on in hoda's place. she's here all the time. >> is that what i heard this morning? >> all the time. and now we know where the wine is. >> you've got yourself covered, lester. so great to have you part of the team. now you know all the ins and outs. >> i do, i do. you have been wonderful. >> if you want to go upstairs, we have stairs and an elevator. it's not really an elevator. it is the slowest and smallest earl vator in the history of the world. we should mention, cue the pain. that's actually the size of the elevator. i strongly suggest you take the steps every time you need to. >> i tried to take it once. i think i went up and down the stair three times before that arrived. i'm taking your advice. >> we'll be back after these messages. [ male announcer ] pillsbury grands biscuits.

delicious. but say i press a few out flat... add some beef sloppy joe sauce... and cheese fold it all up and boom! i just made an unbeatable unsloppy joe pillsbury grands biscuits. let the making begin. so i get claritin clear for strong, non-drowsy relief of all my allergies like dust mold pets and pollen. looks good. thanks. i live claritin clear.

so, maybe you're trying to fiwell, let me give it a shot. if you're ok with marylanders spending five hundred and... fifty million a year gaming in other states, fair enough. but if you think we should keep that money here... add twelve thousand jobs, and generate millions for schools... well you should probably vote for question seven. because if it doesn't pass, all of this goes away. that's why the post called seven, common sense. but decide for yourself. celebrity chef here with us on the plaza to talk about his special initiative you're getting behind for hurricane sandy relief. >> great to have you back. >> thank you for having me. >> tell us what you do. you're teaming up with some folks to help out the storm victims.

>> absolutely. we've been very fortunate. i'm all about the grocery store and all about shopping. pepsi has stepped up a lot. pepsi is not just pop, it's quaker oates, it's cereal. thank you, pepsi. sears holding has stepped up with kmart. they have created a $350 million fund for the shop your way shoppers program which means it's being distributed through all of the cards. you can go -- there's 187 stores. you can go and get food, water, clothes, and blankets. it's already been distributed. you don't need your card. >> a lot of kids going back to school this week and how they will be fed. >> it is a huge problem because we have over 16 million children in the country that share the hot lunch programs. that's a really hard challenge. i look forward to these kids

getting back to school. >> i'm george lettis, ballot question 7 gets another big endorsement as an opposition group embarks on a bus tour. >> and on this very chilly sun is trying to sun is trying to break through the clouds.